Egypt’s foreign minister pressed Libya in Tripoli on Saturday 7 November 2026 to take Cairo’s concerns into account on where their sea borders lie in the Mediterranean. Egypt wants its concerns heard before any boundary is drawn, but no date, map or agreement has been announced.
The dispute matters to US readers because it pits Egypt, a US partner, against a memorandum that Turkey, a NATO ally, signed with Libya. It also sits on the Mediterranean gas and shipping routes that serve Europe.
- What: Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty pressed Libya in Tripoli on 7 November over sea borders.
- Dispute: Libya’s parliament ratified a 2019 sea deal with Turkey on 20 October; Egypt rejected it within days.
- Not known: No date, venue or agenda for border talks has been confirmed.
- As of: 9 November 2026, 09:00 GMT.
What Egypt and Libya Said This Week
Egypt’s foreign minister travelled to Libya on Saturday 7 November 2026 for a series of meetings and for a session of CEN-SAD, the Community of Sahel-Saharan States, a regional bloc, in Tripoli. Egypt’s foreign ministry said he met Libya’s acting foreign minister, Taher al-Baour.
He also reopened Egypt’s embassy in Tripoli, closed since 2014. In its statement, the ministry said Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt’s legal position on the Turkish-Libyan maritime memorandum and stressed that Egypt’s concerns must be taken into account when the two sides draw their maritime boundaries.
He also highlighted the importance of holding the next session of the joint higher committee, a bilateral panel of the two governments. Libya’s Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah was also reported to have told an Egyptian television channel that officials would discuss maps and competing claims at their next meeting.
Dbeibah heads the Government of National Unity, the Tripoli-based administration recognised by the United Nations. No venue or date was given for that meeting.
We could not confirm his remarks independently.
How the Dispute Began
In November 2019, Libya’s Tripoli government signed a memorandum with Turkey that draws a sea boundary between the two countries. Egypt, which signed its own maritime deal with Greece in August 2020, has long said the 2019 text harms its interests.
On Tuesday 20 October 2026, Libya’s House of Representatives, the parliament based in the east, voted to ratify the memorandum. Egypt’s foreign ministry answered within days that the deal was null and void and had no legal effect on Egypt.
On Saturday 24 October, Dbeibah’s office said he had told Egypt’s intelligence chief, Hassan Rashad, by phone that his government was ready to address Cairo’s concerns over sea boundaries and economic waters. The statement spoke of dialogue and joint coordination, without giving details.
In Plain English
A maritime boundary is the line that decides which country may fish, drill for oil and gas, or lay cables in a stretch of sea. When two countries claim overlapping waters, projects there stall until the line is agreed.
A memorandum of understanding is a signed text of intent. Libya’s eastern parliament ratified this one in October, and that vote is what triggered Egypt’s reaction.
What Is Not Known
No official has said when the next meeting will take place, where, or who will attend. The size and coordinates of the disputed waters have not been published.
Nor is it clear how Tripoli and the eastern parliament will reconcile their positions. The remarks attributed to Dbeibah this week rest on a single report.
What It Means for You
For energy investors, clear sea borders make offshore exploration and pipeline plans easier to finance, so any agreed line would be a positive signal. Until then, expect more statements and few contracts at sea.
The talks run alongside Egypt’s push for Libyan crude, covered in our report on Egypt and Libya refining and gas links. Earlier steps in the row are in our reports on the parliament vote on the Turkey deal and Egypt’s rejection.
Our guide to Libya’s geopolitics gives the wider picture. The next step to watch is a date and venue for the first border meeting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Libya-Egypt sea border dispute?
Egypt rejects a 2019 maritime memorandum between Libya and Turkey, saying it ignores its rights in the Mediterranean. Libya’s eastern parliament ratified the memorandum on Tuesday 20 October 2026, and Cairo called it null and void within days.
Have Egypt and Libya agreed on a border?
No. Egypt has pressed for talks and Libya’s prime minister has spoken of discussing maps at a next meeting, but no map, area or date has been announced.
Why do Egypt and Libya disagree about Turkey?
Egypt says the Libya-Turkey memorandum cuts across waters it claims. Libya’s Tripoli government says it will take Egypt’s concerns into account.
Does this affect oil and gas?
It can, because exploration and pipelines need clear boundaries. Egypt and Libya are also discussing refining and gas links, which we cover separately.
Sources: Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs statements of 7 and 8 November 2026 on Foreign Minister Abdelatty’s visit to Tripoli; a report of 8 November 2026 on an interview by Prime Minister Dbeibah with Egyptian television (unconfirmed); Office of Libya’s Prime Minister (statement of 24 October 2026); Libyan House of Representatives vote of 20 October 2026; Egypt’s foreign ministry statement of 21 October 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error